The Amityville Curse (1990)

After purchasing a property in Amityville, New York, Debbie (stage veteran Dawna Wightman) and her husband (Hangfire’s David Stein) invite three of their closest friends to help renovate. Immediately uneasy in her new surroundings, Debbie begins experiencing shockingly vivid nightmares. Vague unease turns to outright terror when the home’s inhabitants discover its brutal past, and a mysterious visitor turns up dead. As the line between dream and reality disappears, their focus shifts from renovation to escape, but it’s not clear who can be trusted – or who will make it out alive.

One of the most overlooked entries in any major horror franchise, The Amityville Curse deviates from series formula, to surprising, amusing, and unsettling effect. Handsomely shot by Rodney Gibbons (My Bloody Valentine) and based on a novel by famed parapsychologist Hans Holzer – who also wrote the source material for Amityville II: The Possession – this inspired oddity is full of memorable horror flourishes and moments of jaw-dropping weirdness. With a lively ensemble that includes Kim Coates (Innocent Blood), Cassandra Gava (Conan the Barbarian), Helen Hughes (The Incubus), and Jan Rubes (Witness), The Amityville Curse is essential Canuxploitation viewing.

Special Features:

• Scanned in 2K from the original 35mm camera negative

• Audio commentary featuring Paul Corupe of Canuxploitation.com and film historian Jason Pichonsky

• Amityville Memories (2022, 16 min.) – An interview with director Tom Berry

• Acting in Amityville (2022, 12 min.) – An interview with actress Dawna Wightman

• Shooting Amityville (2022, 12 min.) – An interview with cinematographer Rodney Gibbons

• Rodney Remembers (2022, 11 min.) – Gibbons reflects on his body of work

• Booklet featuring a new Motion Picture Purgatory comic strip by Rick Trembles and an interview with ghost hunter/author Alexandra Holzer

• Reversible cover artwork

• English SDH subtitles